Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $520 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Malindi and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $520 per month in Malindi vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Malindi $520
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $806 per month in Malindi vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Malindi $806
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,092 per month in Malindi vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Malindi $1,092
Chiang Mai $1,914

Malindi is about 45% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Malindi and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Malindi 61% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 KES 267

$2.26 ฿75.4

-8.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.99 KES 3,241

$19.18 ฿641

30.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 KES 1,372

$5.59 ฿187

89.27%

Cappuccino

$2.76 KES 358

$1.72 ฿57.6

60.47%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 KES 88.8

$0.64 ฿21.54

6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.2

$0.33 ฿11.18

57.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 KES 304

$2.36 ฿78.7

-0.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 KES 429

$3.90 ฿130

-15.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 KES 116

$2.05 ฿68.6

-56.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 KES 69.8

$1.40 ฿46.70

-61.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 KES 164

$1.28 ฿42.89

-0.78%

Eggs

$1.79 KES 232

$2.25 ฿75.3

-20.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 KES 1,522

$16.94 ฿566

-30.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 KES 624

$2.74 ฿91.6

75.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.99 KES 647

$9.36 ฿313

-46.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 KES 269

$2.40 ฿80.3

-13.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.7

$1.01 ฿33.92

-27.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 KES 236

$1.61 ฿53.9

13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 KES 87.2

$1.52 ฿50.7

-55.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 KES 87.6

$1.28 ฿42.90

-46.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 KES 87.5

$1.11 ฿37.22

-39.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 76.6

$0.72 ฿24.09

-18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 KES 55.3

$0.52 ฿17.54

-17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 KES 526

$4.33 ฿145

-6.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.88 KES 1,281

$17.73 ฿593

-44.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 KES 253

$1.63 ฿54.4

19.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 KES 377

$2.85 ฿95.3

2.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 KES 393

$1.17 ฿39.18

158.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 221

$0.57 ฿19.00

198.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 KES 604

$2.37 ฿79.2

96.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 KES 186

$1.45 ฿48.32

-1.38%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-40.12%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-55.46%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$77.9 KES 10.1K

$62.3 ฿2,083

24.92%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$9.43 KES 1,223

$12.27 ฿410

-23.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.35 KES 4,065

$19.97 ฿668

56.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.09 KES 5,069

$37.91 ฿1,267

3.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 KES 1,974

$6.71 ฿224

126.83%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$87.5 KES 11.3K

$797 ฿26.6K

-89.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,349 KES 693.5K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-63.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.08 KES 1,696

$53.3 ฿1,780

-75.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.47 KES 1,746

$25.05 ฿837

-46.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.22 KES 3,010

$91.6 ฿3,062

-74.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.29 KES 6,002

$73.5 ฿2,455

-36.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 KES 49.0K

$915 ฿30.6K

-58.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

133.39%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Malindi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$172 33.2%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 38% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$119 22.8%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 20.3% $24

Eating Out

Malindi

$105 20.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 24.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$70 13.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 26.2% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$43 8.3%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 153% $66

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 431% $50

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Malindi versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $172 in Malindi vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Malindi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

21:27 9:27 PM

01:27 1:27 AM

4 h ahead of Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

127,240

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Malindi Chiang Mai 6,890 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Malindi
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Malindi vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 80% more than Malindi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $780 per month in Malindi and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Malindi and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Malindi, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Malindi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Malindi costs $520 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Malindi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.